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Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to examine the underlying cognitive and neural processes at play
during retrieval of temporal and contextual source information. This was assessed across
three experimental chapters. In the first experimental chapter, Chapter 2, the neural loci of
context associations were assessed. Rats trained on an odour-context association task were
given lesions to either the Lateral Entorhinal Cortex (LEC) or sham lesions. After surgery,
performance on the odour-context task was assessed. It was hypothesised that memory for
previously learned odour-context associations would be impaired following LEC lesions but
not sham lesions. The results supported this hypothesis, demonstrating impaired memory for
the previously learned odour-context associations in the LEC lesion group compared to the
Sham lesion. In Chapter 3, the underlying retrieval processes used to retrieve time and
context in human memory was assessed across three experiments. It was hypothesised that
time would be remembered accurately using both recollection and familiarity, while correct
context memory should rely on recollection alone. Two out of the three experiments
supported this hypothesis, demonstrating that temporal information can be retrieved using
familiarity in certain instances. The final experimental Chapter 4 used fMRI to extend
Chapter 3 and examine whether neural activity would be greater in regions associated with
recollection during memory for context, while activity in familiarity-related regions would be
higher during memory for time. Results revealed no support for these predictions with no
regions linked to recollection showing greater context-related activity, and no regions
previously linked to familiarity exhibiting increased activation as temporal information was
retrieved. The results are discussed in relation to established recollection and familiarity
frameworks and previous work examining the neural substrates supporting memory for time
and context.